Last week Rocket Lab, an American company that carried satellites into space, tried for the first time a recovery method that has always been different from the vertical landing of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, using helicopters to capture thrusters in mid-air.
Although the helicopter once successfully hooked the thruster's parachute, it was not completely successful because the pilot decided to loosen the rope and plunge the thruster into the sea for recovery.
Why is this company doing this?
In addition to this company, how to recover rockets is also a technical problem that many companies or countries are tackling. How far are we from being able to fully recover rockets and start the next space age?
Rocket Lab first used a parachute to decelerate the rocket propeller, and then lowered the long cable from the helicopter to hoist it. However, the pilot considered safety, and finally released the propeller and fell into the sea to be recovered.
(Screenshot of Rocket Lab video)
Currently, only SpaceX has been able to successfully launch a rocket into orbit, partially recover it and relaunch it.
After the Falcon 9 rocket's thruster is separated from the second section of the rocket, it can use the reserved propellant fuel to extend the tripod and land vertically to a platform at sea or on land.
The reason for the development of reusable rockets is nothing more than reducing production and launch costs, as well as reducing the time between each rocket launch, so as to open up more space research and meet the growing low-Earth orbit satellite launch market.
Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, said that in terms of material and labor costs, the pre-fire first stage thruster accounts for 80% of the cost of the whole rocket; while the recovery of the helicopter is only about $4,000 to $5,000 per hour: "Recycling the rocket It saves a lot of time by not having to build a whole new rocket from scratch, so obviously there are cost savings.”
Many countries and industries still have technical difficulties in recovering rocket thrusters. Rocket Lab will try to recover rocket thrusters by helicopter in the future.
(Rocket Lab)
Beck said that although the pilot finally decided to loosen the rope, he was satisfied with the test: "We achieved 99% of our goal today; the remaining 1% was because the pilot didn't like the feel of the catch, so he loosened the rocket. opened."
However, for several companies and countries, more than 1% of the arduous technical challenges they face in the process of researching and recycling the entire rocket for reuse have not been overcome...
For details, please read the 316th issue of "Hong Kong 01" e-weekly report (May 10, 2022) "
Recovering thrusters with helicopters is the next step to completely reuse rockets?
".
Click here
to try out the weekly e-newsletter for more in-depth reports.
Other exclusive selections of the
316th issue of "Hong Kong 01" e-weekly :
A bigger test for the super-voted election of the Li family - whether he can become an outstanding Hong Kong ruler
What is Hong Kong's "Five-Year Plan"?
Ma Moumou's thoughts on the incident: an increasingly urgent proposition before Chinese society
U.S. Supreme Court to abolish 50-year-old abortion rights guarantee
Pros and cons of increasing ex-gratia compensation for owners to speed up the land resumption process - how to ensure that public funds are used properly?
The image of "warm family man" unites the nation's little Marcos to succeed his father's business and become the president of the Philippines
Recycling thrusters with helicopters The next step is to completely reuse rockets?
